John Varty
Encyclopedia
John Varty is a controversial South Africa
n wildlife filmmaker who has made more than 30 documentaries and one feature film. Varty is also leading a controversial project which aims to create a free-ranging, self-sustaining tiger
population outside of Asia. However, some experts feel that this is a money making venture by Varty in an attempt to earn money from the tourism industry. This was documented in a film called "Living with Tigers".
.
After his father, Charles, passed away, John and his brother, Dave Varty, terminated the hunting activities and converted it into a game reserve in 1973. They renamed it Londolozi, which is the Zulu word for "protector of living things". Since then it has become one of the top resorts in the world. After Nelson Mandela
stayed there in 1998, he said: "There, I saw people of all races living in harmony amid the beauty that mother nature offers. Londolozi represents a model of the dream I cherish for the future of nature preservation in our country."
, Shingalana, Jamu, the Orphaned Leopard. Swift and silent won an American Cable TV award in 1993 and The Silent Hunter won The New York Gold Award.
In 2011, John Varty starred in Leopard Queen, a documentary about a leopard he has filmed for 17 years.
He also wrote, produced and starred in Running Wild
a feature film starring Brooke Shields
.
re-wilding project near Philippolis
in the Free State
. Starting with captive bred tigers, the aim is to establish a wild tiger population outside of Asia
. In 2003, the progress was documented in a The Discovery Channel production called Living with Tigers
. In 2011, National Geographic made a second documentary called Tiger Man of Africa.
The project has drawn a lot of criticism: Firstly, his financial backers accused him on national television of misusing funds and that his only motivation has been to make money. Funds for the project were initially supplied by Li Quan and her husband, investment banker Stuart Bray. However, the Vartys were accused of financial mismanagement after a legal audit uncovered that he had borrowed R5.7-million of the funds for extraneous and personal expenses. Quan and Bray subsequently established the Save China's Tigers
Laohu Valley Reserve, also near Philippolis.
Secondly, scientists have also established that the tigers are not genetically pure, which would imply that the project has no conservation value.
Thirdly, the Varty's have been accused by their investors and conservationists of manipulating the behavior of the tigers for the film's production, with the tigers believed to be unable to hunt. Stuart Bray, who had originally invested a large sum of money in the project, claimed that he and his wife, Li Quan, watched the film crew "[chase] the prey up against the fence and into the path of the tigers just for the sake of dramatic footage."
Lastly, the Karoo is not suitable habitat for tigers.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n wildlife filmmaker who has made more than 30 documentaries and one feature film. Varty is also leading a controversial project which aims to create a free-ranging, self-sustaining tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
population outside of Asia. However, some experts feel that this is a money making venture by Varty in an attempt to earn money from the tourism industry. This was documented in a film called "Living with Tigers".
Early life
As a child, John learned hunting on the family game farm near the Kruger National ParkKruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
.
After his father, Charles, passed away, John and his brother, Dave Varty, terminated the hunting activities and converted it into a game reserve in 1973. They renamed it Londolozi, which is the Zulu word for "protector of living things". Since then it has become one of the top resorts in the world. After Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
stayed there in 1998, he said: "There, I saw people of all races living in harmony amid the beauty that mother nature offers. Londolozi represents a model of the dream I cherish for the future of nature preservation in our country."
Film career
John made several documentaries that were widely distributed: Living with tigersLiving with Tigers
Living with Tigers is a 2003 documentary about tigers in Africa. It aired on Discovery.The sequel to Living with Tigers is Tiger Man of Africa on the National Geographic Channel....
, Shingalana, Jamu, the Orphaned Leopard. Swift and silent won an American Cable TV award in 1993 and The Silent Hunter won The New York Gold Award.
In 2011, John Varty starred in Leopard Queen, a documentary about a leopard he has filmed for 17 years.
He also wrote, produced and starred in Running Wild
Running Wild (1992 film)
Running Wild is a 1992 movie starring Brooke Shields, Martin Sheen and David Keith. The movie was written by Andrea Buck, Duncan McLachlan and John Varty. It is rated PG in the USA.-Plot:...
a feature film starring Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
.
Tiger re-wilding project
In 2000, John started a a Bengal tigerBengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
re-wilding project near Philippolis
Philippolis
Philippolis is a small town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was founded as a missionary outpost for the Bushman in 1823, making it the oldest settlement in the Free State. It was named after John Philip of the London Missionary Society. Adam Kok II, a Griqua leader, settled here with...
in the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
. Starting with captive bred tigers, the aim is to establish a wild tiger population outside of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In 2003, the progress was documented in a The Discovery Channel production called Living with Tigers
Living with Tigers
Living with Tigers is a 2003 documentary about tigers in Africa. It aired on Discovery.The sequel to Living with Tigers is Tiger Man of Africa on the National Geographic Channel....
. In 2011, National Geographic made a second documentary called Tiger Man of Africa.
The project has drawn a lot of criticism: Firstly, his financial backers accused him on national television of misusing funds and that his only motivation has been to make money. Funds for the project were initially supplied by Li Quan and her husband, investment banker Stuart Bray. However, the Vartys were accused of financial mismanagement after a legal audit uncovered that he had borrowed R5.7-million of the funds for extraneous and personal expenses. Quan and Bray subsequently established the Save China's Tigers
Save China's Tigers
Save China's Tigers is an international charitable foundation based in Hong Kong, the United States, and the United Kingdom which aims to save the big cats of China from extinction. It focuses on the Chinese tigers...
Laohu Valley Reserve, also near Philippolis.
Secondly, scientists have also established that the tigers are not genetically pure, which would imply that the project has no conservation value.
Thirdly, the Varty's have been accused by their investors and conservationists of manipulating the behavior of the tigers for the film's production, with the tigers believed to be unable to hunt. Stuart Bray, who had originally invested a large sum of money in the project, claimed that he and his wife, Li Quan, watched the film crew "[chase] the prey up against the fence and into the path of the tigers just for the sake of dramatic footage."
Lastly, the Karoo is not suitable habitat for tigers.
Filmography
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